Most of the Chicago Bears’ big brass was in Los Angeles Wednesday to check out likely No. 1 pick Caleb Williams during USC’s pro day. However, the Bears’ representatives showed interest at Texas’ Pro Day on Wednesday in two other players the team could select with their second pick in the first round.
Williams is the easiest decision the Bears will make in April. He’s essentially a consensus No. 1 pick among NFL scouts and GMs. The Bears have another critical decision to make with the No. 9 pick.
The Chicago Bears have flexibility at No. 9 after Keenan Allen’s trade
The Bears have a few options at No. 9. If Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze are on the board, the Bears could add a top wide receiver. Adding Keenan Allen via trade last week will give the Bears flexibility in deciding between a wide receiver and going another route.
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers would be an excellent fit for Shane Waldron’s offense since the new offensive coordinator likes to run 12 (one running back, two tight ends) and 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends).
Head coach Matt Eberflus said during the NFL Combine that he’d like to add another pass rusher or cornerback. If the Atlanta Flacons don’t snag Malik Turner, he could be had at No. 9.
Because four quarterbacks are expected to go in the first six picks of the draft, the Bears should have a good chance of adding Odunze, Turner, or Bowers. But, general manager Ryan Poles could decide to trade down and take quality talent later in the first round. The Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos are expected to try and trade up for a quarterback.
The Bears met with two players during Texas’ pro day who would make sense for the Bears if they trade back from No. 9 in April.
The Bears met with Byron Murphy
According to Tony Pauline, the Bears met with defensive tackle Byron Murphy. Pauline said Murphy looked great in drills during Wednesday’s workout:
“Defensive tackle Byron Murphy, looking like Mr. Universe as he worked out shirtless, looked terrific in drills, just as he did during the combine. The Bears, Falcons and Colts met Murphy the last two days, as did the Vikings.
Word since the Shrine Bowl was that the Vikings would take Murphy with the 11th pick of Round 1. Obviously the focus has shifted to the quarterback position. Yet the feeling they were giving off at pro day is that Murphy would be their contingency plan at 11 if no signal caller is available.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Murphy is the top-ranked defensive tackle in the draft and the ninth-best overall player in the class.
The Bears met with Xavier Worthy
The Bears met with a wide receiver who was flashy in leading Texas to the College Football Playoff last season. Per Pauline, the Bears met with Xavier Worthy on Monday afternoon:
“Worthy then looked terrific in position drills. He ran great routes, translated his track speed onto the field and caught everything thrown to him. His hands were very impressive, as Worthy consistently snatched the ball away from his frame and had no bobbles or double catches.
Worthy was with the Cowboys on Tuesday night after spending the bulk of Monday afternoon with the Bears, Texans and Patriots. After practice Wednesday, he met extensively with the Steelers and Colts.”
Worthy is getting a lot of attention right now because of his insane 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. On his second attempt, Worthy broke the event’s record with a 4.21 time. The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes have gone out of their way to talk to Worthy since the NFL Combine.
PFF doesn’t have Worthy as a round-one pick. They actually have his teammate, Adonai Mitchell, ranked as the fifth-best wide receiver on their draft board. Last season, Texas had a talented pass-catching core with Mitchell, Worthy, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders–who is also supposed to go late on Day 1 or early Day 2.
Regardless of what analysts think, coaches and players seem to have high regard for Worthy’s potential in the league because of his speed. He also led Texas in receiving last season with 75 catches for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns.
One more interesting note on the Texas pro day for the Bears. Per Pauline, the Bears were not noted for meeting with Sanders. Sanders said the Bears had a formal meeting with him at the NFL Combine.
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